Friends

Blogger Dark My Road posted recently about the helpfulness of talking/writing/praying to cope with preoccupying thoughts. Last night a friend was over for what has become a pretty regular evening of life-sharing under the guise of studying a book together.

It started out, as many valuable things have, with me making a request that seemed like it might sound odd: I want to read this book, and I want someone who might see it like I do to read it with me. Would you? Apparently it was not odd, and she was interested.

Now, it turns out, our conversations follow a general pattern of -This is what I've been thinking this week. It's got me pretty stressed out. -- Really? You mean I'm not the only one?

I think my friend has said more than once that listening to me is like looking in a mirror, because most of the feelings/anxieties I describe are the same ones she's been having. What a gift! When I remember how incredibly isolated I felt a year ago, like no one would notice if I never left my house again, this sort of camraderie is clearly a miracle. Neither of us can fix anything for the other, but that doesn't even seem to matter. I am refreshed and hopeful today.